Pope County to offer amnesty programPersons with misdemeanor warrants in Pope County have the opportunity to take advantage of a misdemeanor amnesty program. Following the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, which implemented a similar program last week, Pope County Sheriff Aaron DuVall announced his department would offer a misdemeanor amnesty program beginning Monday and continue through Jan. 17, 2014. To participate, persons with misdemeanor warrants should turn themselves in du...

Sheriff offers holiday amnestyCLARKSVILLE — Persons with misdemeanor warrants in Johnson County can avoid jail time by taking advantage of a holiday offer by the Sheriff’s Department. Johnson County Sheriff Jimmy Dorney said this week his department will offer amnesty to persons with a misdemeanor warrant through the end of the month. Anyone with a misdemeanor warrant may turn themselves in, pay 10 percent toward the total of the warrant and be released with a court date i...

Bond hearings (Dec. 3, 2013)The following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Jan. 6 in Circuit Court. n Khiyenne Daniel, 18, check fraud — $10,000. Daniel was taken into custody Nov. 30 after attempting to cash a check at Kroger. A police report stated she tried to cash a check that came back with an error message. Daniel ...

3 accused of forgery, theftThree individuals appeared in bond hearings Monday on suspicion of forgery and theft of property charges. Bond was set at $50,000 each for April Sue Hubbard, 34, and April Mechille Hubbard, 33, and at $75,000 for Jackie Hubbard, 31. Russellville Police Department (RPD) officers were dispatched to Harps on Nov. 23 for suspected forgery and theft of property. An investigator testified Monday the three suspects were at Harps in Russellville and p...

On the beat (Dec. 1, 2013)Among reports recently taken by the Russellville Police Department (RPD): Nov. 22 — Theft at East B Street. A man reported his neighbor stole his wallet. The victim stated the neighbor came over to visit and they were both in the living room. The victim said he walked into another room in the house, and when he came back his neighbor said he had to go and left the house. After a few minutes, the victim said he noticed the wallet that was on th...

Dardanelle jail escapee convictedDARDANELLE — A man who escaped from the Dardanelle jail in March has pleaded guilty to several felony charges. On Nov. 14, Brett Cooksey Charron, 22, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to several charges in Yell County Circuit Court. According to the Arkansas Department of Corrections, Charron is serving 20 years for kidnapping and 10 years each for charges of first degree-escape and impairing the operation of a vital ...

Ex-Marine accused of California homeless slayings dies SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A former Marine charged with murder in the deaths of four homeless men, a woman and her son died Thursday at a California hospital, a day after falling ill in his jail cell, authorities said. Itzcoatl Ocampo, 25, was found in his single-man cell Wednesday and taken to a hospital, said Orange County sheriff's Lt. Jeff Hallock. He was pronounced dead at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. No cause of death was immediately given, a...

Bond hearings (Nov. 28, 2013)The following individual appeared in felony bond hearings Wednesday. His name, age, anticipated charge and bond amount are listed. He is scheduled to appear Jan. 6 in Circuit Court. • Joshua DeWeese, 29, theft of property — $7,500. Charges were filed against DeWeese last month after a July 24 incident in which he allegedly stole a vehicle, valued at more than $8,000, from a residence on Crow Mountain Road. The victim stated he pulled the car o...

Deputies respond to robbery callPope County deputies responded Monday to a call of an armed robbery. Sheriff Aaron DuVall said upon responding to Dollar General on State Highway 124, deputies learned employees confronted a man who was allegedly shoplifting. The man put down the items he had and lifted his shirt, allegedly revealing a firearm. DuVall said after showing the gun, the man walked out of the store without the items he was suspected of attempting to steal, got into...

$750K bond for stabbing suspectA man accused of stabbing an acquaintance was ordered held in lieu of $750,000 bond on Monday. Andrew Jefferson Lively, 39, of Morrilton was arrested Sunday and held on suspicion of attempted murder, first-degree battery, aggravated residential burglary and interfering with a law enforcement officer. Testimony by a Pope County Sheriff’s Office investigator alleged Lively arrived at a residence on Pine Ridge Road in the Atkins area. The male vi...

Bond Hearings (Nov. 25, 2013)The following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Jan. 6 in Circuit Court. • Heather Renfroe, 27, delivery of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) — $5,000. An agent with the Arkansas State Police testified agents with the Fifth Judicial District Drug Task Force met with Renfroe via a confide...

On the beat (Nov. 24, 2013)Among reports recently taken by the Russellville Police Department (RPD): Nov. 15 — Fleeing and resisting arrest on North Arkansas Avenue. A police officer pulled over a vehicle for lack of tail lights. While the officer spoke to the driver, the passenger of the vehicle said he was sick and got out of the vehicle. The officer said the man was gagging himself and appeared to be under the influence of an illegal drug. When asked for his name, th...

Zumba instructor in prostitution bust leaves jail ALFRED, Maine (AP) — The Zumba instructor who ran a prostitution business in which she videotaped unsuspecting clients so her business partner could watch from his office 100 miles away has been released from jail, bringing to a close a scandal featuring sex videos, adultery and a client list with more than 100 names. Alexis Wright left the York County Jail at about 7:45 a.m. Saturday after serving nearly six months of a 10-month sentence for ...

Will probe bring justice in town’s rape scandal? ROBBINS, Ill. (AP) — The rape evidence was stored in the police department’s musty basement: brown paper shopping bags, stuffed with sneakers, bras and underpants, jammed on metal shelves. Scattered blood vials and swabs covered with dust and mold — an inventory amassed over more than 25 years. Cara Smith, a Cook County sheriff’s aide, knew something was terribly wrong the moment she saw the jumble, which included 176 rape kits dating back to ...

No charges in standoff that left elderly man dead LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Prosecutors said Friday that they aren’t filing criminal charges in the case of a 107-year-old Arkansas man who died in a police standoff this year. Special prosecutor Jason Barrett said Monroe Isadore was “seemingly confused” on Sept. 7, the day he shot at police in Pine Bluff. An officer returned fire and killed Isadore. Police have said they tried using a camera, negotiating tactics and gas before shooting Isadore. But Is...

Bond Hearing (Nov. 23, 2013)The following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings Friday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Dec. 16 in Circuit Court. • Kyle Harris, 26, possession of a firearm by certain persons, possession of body armor and possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) — $50,000. Harris was pulled over for a traffic violation on Wednesday, accordin...

JFK 50th: Nation pauses to remember lost president By The Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — Fifty years after John F. Kennedy fell victim to an assassin’s bullet while visiting Texas with his wife, people at home and abroad paused Friday to remember the 35th president of the United States. Collected here are memories of the slain president, details from the day of his death and live updates from the memorial service at Dealey Plaza in Dallas. ——— HOW THE KENNEDY FAMILY REMEMBERED President John F...

Trafficking suspects get $1M bondThree Mississippi men were each ordered held in lieu of $1 million cash after they were accused of trafficking a large amount of illegal drugs. On Saturday, an Arkansas State Police (ASP) trooper pulled over a vehicle for a lane violation on Interstate 40 west of Russellville. The vehicle was occupied by Timothy Deshazier, 37, Michael Smith, 45, and Michael McPherson, 47, all of whom appeared nervous, according to a police report. The officer ...